Courses

Cat. I This course introduces students to issues in the study of writing such as the history and uses of literacy, the relationship of thought to language, the role of writing in producing knowledge, and research on composing. The focus of the course will be on professional and academic writing. The course will be organized around a series of interrelated research questions: How do writers in professional and academic settings know when they have something to write about? How do they define a problem to investigate? How do they define or construct an audience to address? How do they locate their work in relation to others? work? How do they know which forms of writing to use? Why do they write in the first place? What functions does writing perform?

Cat. I Rhetoric concerns both the art of mastering the available means of persuasion and the study of how oral, written, and visual communication projects the intentions of individuals and groups, makes meanings, and affects audiences. the purpose of this course therefore is two-fold. It is intended to help students become more effective communicators by learning about the rhetorical situation and various rhetorical techniques. and it is designed to help them understand how various forms of communication work by learning some of the strategies of rhetorical analysis.

Cat. I This course explores how visual design is used for purposes of identification, information, and persuasion. It looks at many modes of visual communication, such as icons, logos, trademarks, signs, product packaging, infographics, posters, billboards, ads, exhibits, graffiti, page layout, films, television, videogames, and web sites. The course provides an overview of the history of graphic design movements, as well as analytical tools to understand how visual design encodes messages and the role visual communication plays in contemporary culture.

This course will apply classical and modern rhetorical concepts to analyze various texts and speeches in order to identify the means of persuasion to a particular end. Students will write short analytical papers that critically assess various rhetorical and communicative approaches. The goal of this course is to enable students to see rhetoric in action in order to both engage with the material critically as well as produce effective discourse to meet various situations.

This seminar will cover basic principles of prose style for expository and argumentative writing. Students will learn to evaluate writing for stylistic problems and will learn revision strategies for addressing those problems. The ultimate goal of the seminar is to help students write sentences and paragraphs that are clear, concise, and graceful. In the first part of the course, students will review parts of speech, basic sentence types, and sentence and paragraph structure in order to understand how sentences are put together and the impact their construction has on readers. Then, through hands-on writing exercises and extensive revision of their own and others? writing, students will learn strategies for tightening their prose (concision), achieving ?flow? (cohesion and coherence) and improving usage (language specificity and precision).
Recommended background: WR 1010, Elements of Writing.

This course will examine how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavor to communicate across cultures. Students will develop a personal and theoretical understanding of the cultural origin of people?s values, ideologies, habits, idiosyncrasies and how they affect communication across cultural, racial, ethnic and gender lines. Through observing, studying and experiencing incidents of cross-cultural communication, they will begin to examine and develop skills that are necessary for effective understanding and for successful intercultural communication among majority and minority groups.
Recommended Background: WR 1010 Elements of Writing

This course will introduce students to methods and processes for writing documents based on large complex data sets. Students will learn methods for analytics-based presentations including invention, organization, interpretation, and form. The course will briefly examine database development but through a rhetorical lens, as a way to understand how database structures influence information production. The majority of the course will cover case statements, metrics, data literacy, verification and utility, and operational applications for analytics. Readings and assignments will include some theory, problem-based learning, and case studies.
Suggested Background: Two courses in Rhetoric and/or Writing. Helpful courses could also include one of: WR 3210 Technical Writing, WR 3310 Digital Rhetoric; WR 2211Rhetoric of Visual Design, CS3431 Database Systems I; MA 2611 Applied Statistics I; MIS 3720 Business Data Management; BUS 2080 Data Analysis for Decision Making; or equivalent

This course focuses on effective communication within a scientific or technical community. Students will analyze a number of genres, such as academic articles, research reports, grants, lab reports, and conference proceedings in order to codify the conventions. Students will then switch from analysis to production, writing and revising disciplinary writing for academic and specialized audiences.
Recommended background: WR 1011 Writing About Science & Technology, WR 2211 Rhetoric of Visual Design, WR 3210 Technical Writing, WR 3214 Writing About Disease and Public Health, or equivalent

Cat. I. This course is designed for students who wish to work intensively on their writing. The course will emphasize the processes of composing and revising, the rhetorical strategies of written exposition and argumentation, and the reading and citation practices central to academic inquiry. In a workshop setting, students will write a sequence of short papers and complete one longer writing project based on multiple source texts; learn to read critically and respond helpfully to each other?s writing; and make oral presentations from written texts. Where applicable, the topical theme of the class will be provided via the Registrar?s office. Note: Students who have taken EN/WR 2211 cannot receive credit for this course.

Cat.I This course will examine the appropriate dissemination of scientific information in common science writing genres such as science journalism, consulting reports and white papers, and policy and procedure documents. In a workshop setting, students will write and revise documents that promote broad understanding of scientific research and analysis of specialized knowledge. Course lectures and discussions investigate ethics of scientific reporting and teach students how to recognize deceptive texts and arguments (both quantitative and qualitative). The course is reading and writing intensive and is intended for students with backgrounds in a scientific discipline who are interested in applying their disciplinary knowledge. Note: Students who have taken EN/WR 2211 cannot receive credit for this course.

Cat. I. This course emphasizes the standard written genres of professional, workplace
communication. Students will analyze the history, purposes, conventions, and social consequences of a variety of business communications, focusing on digital and print correspondence, reports, and proposals directed to internal and external audiences. Students will learn about the culture of a professional environment and the role of writing in structuring identity and relationships within that context. Classes will be conducted as interactive writing workshops in which students assess and respond to rhetorical scenarios and sample texts from a variety of professional worksites. Students will create portfolios, producing professional writing samples they may use on the job market.
Suggested background: WR 1010 or WR 1011. Note: Students who have taken EN/WR 2210 cannot receive credit for this course.

Cat. I. This course is designed for students who wish to work intensively on their writing. The course will emphasize the processes of composing and revising, the rhetorical strategies of written exposition and argumentation, and the reading and citation practices central to academic inquiry. In a workshop setting, students will write a sequence of short papers and complete one longer writing project based on multiple source texts; learn to read critically and respond helpfully to each other?s writing; and make oral presentations from written texts. Where applicable, the topical theme of the class will be provided via the Registrar?s office.

Cat. I. The course is for students who may wish to make careers in journalism or
communications and for those who wish to understand the history, function, production and contemporary challenges of print journalism. Students will analyze articles from newspapers, magazines and Web sites. They will learn and practice the skills of the journalist: finding the story, researching, interviewing, writing on deadline, copy-editing
and proof-reading. Classes will also cover matters such as objectivity, fairness, ethics and libel, as well as wider issues of mass communication such as agenda setting, citizen journalism and the implications of converging media. To give students a more keen sense of audience, work will be read and discussed in class. Students will be urged to write for the college newspaper. Publication beyond the campus will be strongly encouraged.

Cat. I This course explores how visual design is used for purposes of identification,
information, and persuasion. It looks at many modes of visual communication, such as icons, logos, trademarks, signs, product packaging, infographics, posters, billboards, ads, exhibits, graffiti, page layout, films, television, videogames, and web sites. The course provides an overview of the history of graphic design movements, as well as analytical tools to understand how visual design encodes messages and the role visual communication plays in contemporary culture. Students will write about and create a number of visual media in this projectcentered class. Suggested background: WR 1010
Note: Students who have taken EN/WR 3211 cannot receive credit for this course.

Teaching Writing introduces students to the theory and practice of written
composition. Students research and read about the writing process and how best to support it through the practice of explicit teaching and tutoring. They learn specific strategies that can support writers as they plan, draft, and revise written work in a number of genres, and they study effective ways to provide helpful feedback on drafts. They also learn about and practice navigating the social, political and interpersonal dynamics of the teacher/tutor-student relationship through a tutoring internship at the Writing Center and through assignments prompting them to develop lesson plans and instructional handouts. This course will help students improve their own writing and read their own and others? writing more critically. It will be especially useful for those who plan to teach or tutor writing in the future.
Recommended background: WR 1010 Elements of Writing Note: Students who have taken WR/EN 3011 Peer Tutoring in Writing cannot receive credit for this course.

Cat. I. Rhetoric concerns both the art of mastering the available means of persuasion
and the study of how oral, written, and visual communication projects the intentions of individuals and groups, makes meanings, and affects audiences. The purpose of this course therefore is two-fold. It is intended to help students become more effective communicators by learning about the rhetorical situation and various rhetorical techniques, and it is designed to help them understand how various forms of communication work by learning some of the philosophies and strategies of rhetorical analysis. Recommended background: Introduction to Rhetoric. Note: Students who have taken RH 3112 cannot receive credit for this course.

Cat. I. Technical writing combines technical knowledge with writing skills to communicate technology to the world. This course introduces the fundamental principles of technical communication, and the tools commonly used in the technical writing profession. Topics include user and task analysis, information design, instructional writing, and usability testing. Students learn to use the technical writing process to create user-centered documents that combine text, graphics, and visual formatting to meet specific information needs. Students create a portfolio of both hardcopy and online documentation, using professional tools such as FrameMaker, Acrobat, and RoboHelp. Recommended background: WR 1010, or equivalent writing course.

Cat. I. This writing workshop focuses on the purposed and genres of writing about
disease and public health. We will consider how biomedical writers communicate
technical information about disease and public health to general audiences; how writers capture the human experience of disease and health care; how writers treat the public policy implications of disease; and how writers design publicity to promote public health. We will examine such genres as the experimental article, news reports, medical advice, profiles, commentary, and public health messages. Recommended background: WR 1010 Elements of Writing or equivalent writing courses.

Cat. I The purpose of this course is to help students develop or improve the skills of written expression. Small groups are formed in which participants present and discuss their original work in either fiction or poetry.

This course will explore the changing nature of rhetoric and communication in a digital environment by articulating a theory of rhetoric that accounts for digital communication. In a seminar format, students will read and respond to a number of readings that consider the roles of databases, algorithms, social networks, and the like on contemporary communication practices. Students will put into practice their theories on digital rhetoric through a series of class projects: website design, podcasting, interactive storytelling, database design, virtual representations, and the like. Throughout the course, students will recursively understand their practices through theoretical works and gain new insight into theory through the practice of writing in digital spaces.
Recommended background: WR 2211 Rhetoric of Visual Design.

Cat. I This methodology course introduces students to issues in the study of writing
such as the history and uses of literacy, the relationship of thought to language, the role of writing in producing knowledge, and research on composing. The focus of the course will be on professional and academic writing. In this project-based class, students will develop research questions, construct a relevant method study, and carry out that study. The purpose of this course is to add to students analytical approaches to writing and communicative situations. Recommended background: WR 1010 Elements of Writing, WR 2310 Rhetoric of Visual Design, WR 3112 Rhetorical Theory. Note: Students who have taken RH 3111 cannot receive credit for this course.